And the ice thawed
by SuperMint
Summary: Just a glance was all it took for the right thing to happen. Events are different here. A tragic alternate ending.


"Anna is dead." Echoed through Elsa's head, words swirled around with memories of her little sister... Their last conversation had been an argument and she had kicked her sister out, sent her away.

Elsa could only stare at the icy fjord, a fjord she had frozen over with her uncontrolled powers. Hans stood above her, a sword in his hand.

'Good, I deserve to die... I am a monster.' Elsa steeled herself for the blow.

The sword sang through the air, a beautiful sound for such a weapon and such a task.

It hit her like a hammer blow and she surprised herself with her scream.

Anna was moving so very slowly as the ice crawled through her body, the sudden halt to the snowstorm meant she had a clear view to Kristoff and the true love to save her. He was running to meet her out on the ice and she focused her all on reaching him.

There was a strange sound, like a pure high note, Anna would have queried it but for the scream of agony that cut the air. "Elsa!" She shouted, screamed, as she looked to see her elder sister fall to the ground into an expanding pool of red.

The ice in her veins was replaced with pure sadness as she ran to Elsa. Kristoff was close behind, she could hear his heavy steps running to keep up. Anna hardly noticed the ice leaving her as she unfroze.

"You?!" Hans looked surprised to see Anna, "You should have frozen to death by now." He sneered at Elsa, his blow had not been as true as he'd thought. "I killed her before you froze didn't I." He was about to say more but Kristoff's hard punch knocked the prince out cold.

Anna was too concerned with Elsa, her wound was brutal and for a moment nausea overcame Anna. She forced herself to move closer, ignoring the bubbling sound as Elsa barely breathed. "Elsa, Elsa!" She kneeled down on the ice, the suddenly slushy ice.

That voice, Elsa knew that voice better than her own. She couldn't move to look, "Annn.." Elsa could barely speak either, she felt too cold from her fingertips to her toes but for a burning in her back and middle where the sword had stabbed through. "An-n-ah." She looked up with supreme effort to see her sister's face. Her sister's lively, blessedly unfrozen face. She smiled as much as she could manage.

"Elsa..." Anna sobbed, grasping a bloodied hand and holding it so, so, tight. "You were right... I was so wrong about Hans, about love, about it all." Her tears mingled with the red puddle gathering beneath them, blood and melt-water mixed as they seemed to float. Beneath the gory mixture wooden planks showed through.

"'s not matter..." Elsa was finding it harder to form thoughts now, but Anna was unharmed and Anna was holding her hand and her baby sister was alright.

"We can g-go back t-to the c-castle now o-okay?" Anna stuttered out between sobs. "We'll close the gates if you want, and all the doors and windows..." A weak squeeze of her hand stopped her babble.

"Do wh... y' wan' Anna." Elsa mumbled, her voice had lost all strength, it was barely a whisper. "y're Queen now..." she couldn't keep herself from falling limp. Anna lay close, Elsa could see her face even as her vision faded.

"ELSA!" Anna shouted and begged incoherently, ducking down level with her sister's face. The light in the ice blue eyes was fading fast.

"Love you..."

Anna's scream was raw and pained. Kristoff had to hold her back, sat stock still on the deck with his strong arms around her, to prevent the princess beating the youngest prince of the Southern Isles into a pulp.

Strong guards and long ropes pulled the boat into dry dock after a detachment rowed out to secure Prince Hans. Anna refused to leave Elsa; she had covered her sister in her now unnecessary winter cape as every magical ice crystal thawed away.

Sven found the sad bundle of twigs, coal and a carrot. He didn't eat it, the big reindeer sat guard until he could tell Kristoff. Anna mourned two losses that evening.

The funeral arrangements were quickly made; it was a small task to turn the celebration of the coronation into a time of mourning. Elsa lay in state, Anna had tried to argue against it but it was tradition. They dressed her up in the finery she was supposed to wear as Queen and the townspeople filed past. "To check she really is dead." Anna said bitterly and often. Kai and Gerda understood why she had changed so, but it was still a shock to hear the bright and cheerful princess speak so.

Kristoff stuck around, always close to Anna ready in a moment to catch her when she tumbled and soak up her tears.

They buried Elsa on the mountain where their parents were memorialised. The monolith engraved with a terribly short time-span. Snowflakes were also etched into the stone at Anna's insistence, "It was a part of her and I am, I am celebrating just how wonderful and unique my sister is-was..."

No one knew that the coffin also held a tiny bundle, wrapped in a little green blanket, some coal, twigs and a carrot. Neatly wrapped and placed in Elsa's arms. Anna had decided it was better that way.

Hans of the Southern Isles was sent home in chains. The Duke of Weselton removed just as swiftly. Anna was Queen now, she was never meant to be Queen.

As she sat in her study with the droning officials or wandered listlessly through the town she would feel a pain in her heart, the ice was still there, she was sure of it. A new ice forming in the aching void her sister left.

Anna married Kristoff on her 20th birthday. She had told all the councillors and would be suitors as much whenever anyone broached the subject of a consort. "Just look what a _proper_ prince did." She would shout when the persuasion vexed her.

It was a beautiful occasion. The deep winter weather made Anna feel closer to her lost sister, like she was watching over them. Kristoff had Sven as best man and a horde of Ice Harvesters as guests and for a brief moment as Kai gave her away and Gerda sniffled into a hanky, Anna was suffused with joy.

But however much she tried the ice in her heart remained.

Queen Anna was crowned on her 21st birthday. Prince Consort Kristoff was her support, her rock to cling to in the storm. Three years had taken the edge off her grief but a day did not go by without her passing by that blue patterned door and apologising with her heart of hearts. Today she was taking Elsa's job for real, replaying a day she had ruined for her sister.

The same crown was placed on her head, they had found the crown; one of Kristoff's colleagues had come across it when searching for shelter in a storm. Anna didn't mind wearing it; she could at least feel a little closer to her sister this way.

By her twenty second birthday Queen Anna of Arendelle was with child, an heir growing inside her. Daily she told the blue door of her progress, of her morning sickness, the little kicks, the swollen ankles and alarming number of visits to the privy. She promised, vowed, to do better by her child than their parents had with them.

Princess Elsa was born in the summer, so painfully close to her lost Aunt's birthday. She was hale and hearty in voice. "A good set of lungs." Gerda had cooed to the squalling baby as Anna lay exhausted in bed, admiring the little tuft of so blonde hair.

She was ecstatic when the little girl's eyes stayed blue, as blue as the ice her father harvested. As blue as her aunt's beautiful eyes had been.

As little Elsa grew Anna felt her grief lessen, not once did she forget to talk to the blue painted door. Her daughter would often be with her, she would make her little baby noises and pat the door with chubby little hands. Anna would cry, wishing that the charming child was being held in her namesake's arms and enchanting the Snow Queen.

Elsa was three when she asked to know, why did her Mama speak to the door. Who was the lady who shared her name. So Anna told tales of snow in the ballroom and little snowmen called Olaf who loved warm hugs.

Anna caught for her second child that year, baby Joan was born close to her mother's birthday, a little shouty red thing with copper tufts on her head. Elsa was alarmed at the noise, the liquids and the colour of her new sister but loved her nonetheless.

When Elsa was eight Joan fell from a tree and broke her arm. She was inconsolable, she had encouraged her sister to climb it and been helpless when Joan fell.

When the physician had left and Joan was tucked up in bed to sleep away some of the pain and shock Anna went in search of her eldest daughter. It hurt her deeply when she found the girl shut behind her bedroom door. Anna knocked, unintentionally in the manner of her youngest. "No Joan, go away... I'll just hurt you again..." The tearful broken voice near echoing words from decades before.

"No!" Anna swept in and held her child close, so close. "It wasn't your fault Elsa."

"Mama?"

"Never ever shut yourself away, it won't keep Joan safe sweetie, it might even hurt her more." Anna knew she was crying, she knew it was going to alarm her daughter, but the ice in her heart had stabbed when she saw her children repeating the past.

The story spilled out. If Elsa was old enough to decide she must lock herself away to keep her sister safe, she was old enough to hear the full story of the past.

After, when they both lay on the bed, Anna stroking her daughter's silky hair and whispering soothing words her daughter surprised her again. "Can I see the portrait Mama? The one that is always covered?"

Anna didn't cringe like she thought she would, she smiled instead. "Yes, let's go and see your Aunt Elsa."

The portrait was next to her parents, veiled in black as ever. Anna had never been able to remove the fabric despite the mourning period ending a long time ago. With a quick movement she pulled it free. Elsa gasped. "That's your Aunt Elsa, she died before you were born but I named you after her."

"She's so pretty Mama."

"Yes she was Elsie, so beautiful. Just like you will be, when you're Queen." Anna smiled through her tears and held her daughter close.

And slowly, slowly, the ice in her heart thawed.

* * *

Fixed it. I had more ideas on what to do. I hope this is better.

You know, still sad but better written.


End file.
